Tahi-shei looked confused at the change in Astraea's body language. Had hemessed up...? Or did Astraea just not like Tenzin? Lacking the honorific, Tahi-shei had nothing to indicate to him that this was a Master as well. His ears flicked down at your kind -- what did that mean? Whatever it was, Tahi-shei felt like he was being insulted.

Master Vargas sounded like someone Astraea trusted more. That was his instinct, at least at the moment. But he felt like the Master's patience was wearing thin, and shifted slightly. "Umm... no, I don't think so." One of his ears flicked. "Sorry for keeping you for so long, Master. I hope your thing that opened the tunnel gets dealt with."

Mostly, he looked a little embarrassed. "And, uh, thank you." Astraea had been helpful, really -- even if he had been a little cold at the end there.

Astraea turned away again, his gaze travelling the cave, his mind for a brief moment elsewhere.

It returned to Polaris--to Tahi-shei. The Gembound was... trying, he'd give it that. And his tasks were what they were, and he was being just a little... harsh, was he not? It wasn't Tahi-shei's fault, asking about things he didn't understand. Could never understand.

He turned to glance at him again. "Keep pushing yourself, Tahi-shei," he suggested, a little more quietly. "You have a keen mind. It will, I'm sure, go far. Be... safe." Yes. He could be that.

Then--gritting his teeth against too many thoughts--he turned and struck out, pacing quietly away.

@Tahi-shei

Tahi watched him go, still wide-eyed an innocent at his mere three cycles old. Not as innocent as he had been before striking up his deal with the Collector, but alas. Keep pushing yourself. He could do that. He preened at the compliment -- a Master! Calling him smart!

Be safe. "You too!" he called, mood repaired, and then began to trot off to find something else to do. Maybe Madhukar was still milling around somewhere...


/exit tahi-shei